"...I Pity The Fool..."
Like so many albums of the
period - Bobby Bland's 1961 debut LP "Two Steps From The Blues" was
made up primarily of proven hit singles on the Blues and R&B charts. A
whopping 7 of its 12 tracks had been Duke 45's - with releases stretching as
far back as March 1957 - while three of the five new songs would become singles
themselves anyway.
The five new cuts recorded
in November 1960 in Chicago were "Two Steps From The Blues",
"Don't Cry No More", "I've Just Got To Forget You",
"St. James Infirmary" and the soon to be a No. 1 smash "I Pity
The Fool" (released with the album in January 1961). And yet this slapped
together long-player makes for a great listen – moaning Blues sided by a few
shuffling R&B mid-tempo dancers. Here are the Pitiful Fools, Cheatin' Women
and Little Boy Blues...
US released 27 February 2001
- "Two Steps From The Blues" by BOBBY BLAND on MCA/Duke-Peacock 088
112 516-2 (Barcode 008811251628) is part of Universal's "Blues Classics:
Remastered & Revisited" CD Reissue Series (see list below) and offers
the 12-track 1961 album plus two Bonus Tracks (singles from the period) and
plays out as follows (35:12 minutes):
Side 1:
1. Two Steps From The Blues
2. Cry, Cry, Cry (also
September 1960 USA 7" single on Duke 327, A)
3. I'm Not Ashamed (also
April 1959 USA 7" single on Duke 303, A)
4. Don't Cry No More (also
1961 USA 7" single on Duke 336, A - withdrawn)
5. Lead Me On (also March
1960 USA 7" single on Duke 318, A)
6. I Pity The Fool (also
January 1961 USA 7" single on Duke 332, A)
Side 2:
7. I've Just Got To Forget
You
8. Little Boy Blue (also
July 1958 USA 7" single on Duke 196, A)
9. St. James Infirmary (also
June 1961 USA 7" single on Duke 340, B-side of "Don't Cry No
More")
10. I'll Take Care Of You
(also November 1959 USA 7" single on Duke 314, A)
11. I Don't Want No Woman
(also March 1957 USA 7" single on Duke 167, B-side of "I Smell
Trouble")
12. I've Been Wrong So Long
(also September 1960 USA 7" single on Duke 327, B-side of "Cry, Cry,
Cry")
Tracks 1 to 12 are his debut
LP "Two Steps From The Blues" - released January 1961 in the USA in
Mono only on Duke Records DLP 74.
BONUS TRACKS:
13. How Does A Cheatin'
Woman Feel (recorded August 1960 - July 1962 USA 7" single on Duke 352,
B-side of "Yield Not To Temptation")
14. Close To You (recorded
August 1960 - also January 1961 USA 7" single on Duke 332, B-side of
"I Pity The Fool")
Using period typeface - the
12-page booklet is a pleasant enough affair with short but informative new
liner notes from noted Blues & R&B Historian BILL DAHL. You also get
the original LP liner notes from Dzondria Lalsac - as well as trade adverts for
"I'll Take Care Of You" and "Bobby "Blue" Bland’s
newest hit "I Smell Trouble" (Duke were hoping to smell a hit
alright). But all of that pales against the real deal - an ERICK LABSON
Remaster from original analogue tapes done at Universal's Mastering suites in
Hollywood. You get a glorious old school Mono punch out of this album - and
whilst the playing time is admittedly short - the whole listen feels just
'right'.
Beneath the title of the
album – the LP’s label declares 'Featuring The Scintillating Voice Of...' - and
they'd be right. While his trademark growl isn't quite in place yet - his deep
guttural voice is a thing of wonder. Tracks like "Two Steps From The Blues"
and "I've Just Got To Forget You" features the bluesy guitar of Wayne
Barnett with the punching brass of Joe Scott, Melvin Jackson, Pluma Davis,
Robert Skinner, L.A. Hill and Rayfield Devers on all manner of tasty horns -
while Teddy Reynolds tinkles faintly in the background on the old Joanna.
"Little Boy Blue" and "Don't Cry No More" continue the
emotional misery - but I love "Close To You" - the non-LP B-side to
the album's milestone and Bobby Bland signature tune "I Pity The
Fool".
Great stuff and a must-buy
for fans of hard-hitting Chicago R&B and Blues that also dig the beginnings
of early Soul...
PS: Universal put out seven
releases in their Rock 'n' Roll "50th Anniversary Series" and eleven
in their complimentary "Blues Classics Remastered & Revisited"
Series - and I've loved the lot. Great sound, clever title choices and all
bumped up with bonus tracks and decent booklets (I'm reviewed almost all of
them). Each makes for the best basis of a collection in a minefield of lesser
compilations. For info purposes...
The "Rock 'n' Roll 50th Anniversary" CD
Series:
1. After School Session by
CHUCK BERRY (1958 Chess debut LP)
2. St. Louis To Liverpool by
CHUCK BERRY (1964 STEREO LP on Chess)
3. The Chirping Crickets by
THE CRICKETS (1957 Debut LP on Decca)
4. Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger
by BO DIDDLEY (1960 STEREO Chess LP)
5. Rock Around The Clock by
BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS (1955 Decca LP)
6. Buddy Holly by BUDDY
HOLLY (1958 1st solo LP on Coral)
7. Rock, Rock, Rock! -
Original Soundtrack by VARIOUS (Chuck Berry, The Flamingos and The Moonglows)
(1956 Chess 'Rock'n'Roll Movie Soundtrack LP)
The "Blues Classics Remastered &
Revisited" CD Series:
1. Bad News Is Coming -
LUTHER ALLISON (1972 USA LP with 4 Previously Unreleased bonuses, 56:10
minutes) (Barcode 044001340727)
2. Luther's Blues - LUTHER
ALLISON (SUHA GUR Remaster) (1974 USA 9-track LP with 3 Previously Unreleased
bonuses, 70:28 minutes) (Barcode 044001340925)
3. Two Steps From The Blues
- BOBBY BLAND (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1961 USA 12-track LP on Duke with 2
bonuses, 35:12 minutes) (Barcode
008811251628)
4. The Real Folk Blues/More
Real Folk Blues - JOHN LEE HOOKER (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (October 1966 and September
1991 LPs on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 79:44 minutes) (Barcode 008811282127)
5. The Real Folk Blues/More
Real Folk Blues - HOWLIN' WOLF (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (January 1966 on Chess
and January 1967 on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 66:45 minutes) (Barcode 008811282028)
6. Tell Mama: The Complete
Muscle Shoals Sessions - ETTA JAMES (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (January 1968 US
12-Track LP on Cadet - Tracks 13-22 being bonuses, 57:11 minutes) (Barcode
008811251826)
7. Live At San Quentin -
B.B. KING (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1990 13-Track Compilation on MCA, no extras,
64:11 minutes) (Barcode 008811251727)
8. At Newport 1960 - MUDDY
WATERS (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (1960 US 9-Track LP on Chess with 10-13 being 4
Mono Studio Tracks from June 1960 as bonus tracks, 44:43 minutes) (Barcode
008811251529)
9. Fathers & Sons -
MUDDY WATERS & Friends (ERICK LABSON Remaster)
(Tracks 1-10 and 15-20 is
the August 1969 2LP set on Chess in Full with Tracks 11, 12, 13 being
previously unreleased - and 14 previously unreleased in the USA). (77:38
minutes) (Barcode 008811264826)
10. The Real Folk Blues/More
Real Folk Blues - MUDDY WATERS (ERICK LABSON Remasters - 2LPs on 1CD) (Barcode
008811282226)
11. The Real Folk Blues/More
Real Folk Blues - SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON (ERICK LABSON Remaster) (January 1966
and January 1967 LPs on Chess, 2LPs on 1CD, 65:28 minutes) (Barcode
008811282325)
